Monica Lyons shifts her business

A gorgeous wall created by Smoke and Mirrors takes center stage at a music festival mances without a live audience is still in its infancy, but many TV shows like “America’s Got Talent” are making it work. Even baseball has come back without fans in the stadium, so the model is gaining in popularity.

“We can have fundraisers, concerts – we’ll have theater later this month. We still follow all the guidelines: everyone’s wearing masks, there’s under 10 people. The whole warehouse is quite large, so the risk is really low. Everything is sanitized during the breaks so we’re doing okay,” she says.

Monica remains optimistic, “I think people are trying to play it safe – us too. When this first started we said, ‘We’re not leaving the house for five years if that’s what it takes.’ But slowly, things are opening up and people are more comfortable leaving the house.”

But looking too far into the future is a scary prospect for her. “We’d like to think that when a vaccine is avail- able, everything will just go back to normal, but…” she takes a pause, “we don’t know if the companies we used to work for, be a vendor to, will be around. There is a lot of speculation and one of our biggest accounts let go of their entire staff.”

With so much up in the air, the Lyons are thinking of building an even bigger livestream soundstage, because “this could be the future of events,” she says.

No matter what the future holds for live performanc- es, the company Smoke and Mirrors is not only adapting but is surprisingly aptly named for a time when everyone is trying to create the illusion of normalcy using very limited resources.

Even without the large crowds, Monica says she loves her work and feeds off every new situation. “It’s about the energy of the people, and it’s always a learning experience for me.” Catherine Jonas, CMC, LMFT PRINCIPAL

Geriatric Care Management & Counseling Services We Specialize in:

• Helping People Stay in their Own Home as they Age • In-Home Safety Assessments & Recommendations • Managing In-Home Caregivers & Assisted Living Options • Advocating for Health Care Needs and End of Life Wishes • Family Counseling & Mediation • Mild Cognitive Impairment & All Forms of Dementia

catherine@cjcareconsulting.com www.cjcareconsulting.com (310) 413-1277

AMID A PANDEMIC, INTERIOR DESIGN IS A BALANCING ACT

Julia Newman relies on her creativity and flexibility in a changing landscape BY SHANEE EDWARDS | PHOTOS BY LUIS CHAVEZ

Every small business owner knows adapting to changes in the marketplace is the key to a thriving business. So when interior designer Julia Newman found herself running her full-service design firm Julia Adele Design during a pandemic, she devised a new strategy: “Hope for the best, plan for the worst.”

Some changes to Newman’s work were obvious like doing more virtual design and taking phone calls instead of meeting clients in person. But still, she says, “It’s definitely been challenging because there’s no precedent for this. I’ve really tried to balance keeping the business going but doing it safely.”

On the upside, she’s been able to work with clients who live out of state by designing in the virtual realm. “It’s less challenging to work on a house in Arizona than having to travel back and forth,” she says.

The downside to working in the time of COVID-19 has been not having the human connection she thrives on when working with people in their homes or offices. But the challenges don’t end there.

“I’ve also had to get more creative with marketing, posting on social media and reaching out to past clients,” says Newman, who usually gets clients by networking with people in person.

If Newman must physically see a client, “We both wear masks. If I have workmen in there, it has to be contained and they have their temperatures taken. But I don’t foresee doing a lot of in-person meetings,” she says.

Business-minded, with a positive attitude, she says her experience as a female business owner has helped her pivot during this difficult time.

“I think if you’re a woman in a position of